Verse 1: Kwathi uSawule esebuyile ekuxosheni amaFilisti, kwabikwa kuye ukuthi: “Bheka, uDavide usehlane lase-Eni Gedi.”
Verse 2: USawule wayesethatha abantu abayizinkulungwane ezintathu abakhethiweyo kuye wonke u-Israyeli, wahamba ukumfuna uDavide nabantu bakhe emaDwaleni amaGogo.
Verse 3: Wafika ezibayeni zezimvu ngasendleleni, lapho kukhona umhume; uSawule wangena khona ukuba embese izinyawo zakhe. UDavide nabantu bakhe babehlezi emuva emhumeni.
Verse 4: Abantu bakaDavide bathi kuye: “Bheka, nantu usuku uJehova asho ngalo kuwe ukuthi: ‘Bheka, ngiyakunikela isitha sakho esandleni sakho, wenze kuso okuhle emehlweni akho.’ ” Wayesesuka uDavide, wasika ngasese umphetho wengubo kaSawule.
Verse 5: Kwathi ngasemuva uDavide wahlabeka enhliziyweni, ngokuba wayesikile umphetho wengubo kaSawule.
Verse 6: Wathi kubantu bakhe: “Makube kude nami, Jehova, ukuba ngenze okunjalo kuyo inkosi yami, ogcotshiweyo kaJehova, ngelulele isandla sami kuye, lokhu engogcotshiweyo kaJehova.”
Verse 7: UDavide wabathiya ngalawo mazwi, akabavumelanga ukuba bamvukele uSawule. USawule wasuka emhumeni, wahamba.
Verse 8: Naye uDavide wasuka ngasemuva, waphuma emhumeni, wamemeza emva kukaSawule, ethi: “Nkosi yami, nkosi!” USawule wabheka emuva, uDavide wakhothamela phansi ngobuso, wakhuleka.
Verse 9: UDavide wathi kuSawule: “Ulalelelani amazwi abantu abathi: ‘Bheka, uDavide ufuna ukukulimaza’?
Verse 10: Bheka, namuhla amehlo akho abonile ukuthi uJehova wayekunikele esandleni sami emhumeni; abanye bathi mangikubulale, kepha ngakuhawukela, ngathi: ‘Angiyikwelulela isandla sami kuyo inkosi yami, ngokuba ingogcotshiweyo kaJehova.’
Verse 11: Futhi, baba, bheka, yebo, bheka, umphetho wengubo yakho usesandleni sami, ngokuba lokhu ngasika umphetho wengubo yakho ngingakubulalanga, yazi, ubone ukuthi akukho bubi nasiphambeko esandleni sami, angonanga kuwe, noma uqamekela ukuphila kwami ukuba ukuthathe.
Verse 12: UJehova makahlulele phakathi kwami nawe, uJehova angiphindisele kuwe, kepha isandla sami asiyikuba phezu kwakho.
Verse 13: Kunjengesaga sasendulo esithi: ‘Kwababi kuvela okubi;’ ngalokho isandla sami asiyikuba phezu kwakho.
Verse 14: “Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli iphumele ukulandela bani na? Uxosha bani na? Uxosha inja efileyo, intwakumba eyodwa nje.
Verse 15: UJehova makabe ngumahluleli, ahlulele phakathi kwami nawe, abheke, angimele, angikhulule esandleni sakho.”
Verse 16: Kwathi uDavide eseqedile ukukhuluma lawo mazwi kuSawule, uSawule wathi: “Yizwi lakho leli, ndodana yami Davide, na?” USawule wadazuluka, wakhala.
Verse 17: Wayesethi kuDavide: “Ulungile kunami, ngokuba wena ungiphindisele ngokuhle, kepha mina ngikuphindisele ngokubi.
Verse 18: Ulandile namuhla ukuthi ungenzele okuhle, njengokuba, lapho uJehova ebenginikele esandleni sakho, awungibulalanga.
Verse 19: Ngokuba uma umuntu efica isitha sakhe, uyasivumela ukuba sihambe ngendlela enhle na? UJehova makakuphindisele ngokuhle ngokwenzileyo kimi namuhla.
Verse 20: Manje bheka, ngiyazi ukuthi uyakuba yinkosi impela, nombuso wakwa-Israyeli uyakuqiniswa esandleni sakho.
Verse 21: Ngalokho ngifungele uJehova ukuthi awuyikunquma inzalo yami emva kwami nokuthi awuyikwesula igama lami endlini kababa.”
Verse 22: UDavide wafunga kuSawule; uSawule wagoduka, kepha uDavide nabantu bakhe bakhuphukela enqabeni.